geography

American  

[jee-og-ruh-fee] / dʒiˈɒg rə fi /

noun

geographies plural

1. the science dealing with the areal differentiation of the earth's surface, as shown in the character, arrangement, and interrelations over the world of such elements as climate, elevation, soil, vegetation, population, land use, industries, or states, and of the unit areas formed by the complex of these individual elements.

2. the study of this science.

3. the topographical features of a region, usually of the earth, sometimes of the planets.

4. a book dealing with this science or study, as a textbook.

5. the arrangement of features of any complex entity.

   the geography of the mind.

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geography British  

/ dʒɪˈɒɡrəfɪ, ˌdʒɪəˈɡræfɪkəl /

noun

1. the study of the natural features of the earth's surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc, and man's response to them

2. the natural features of a region

3. an arrangement of constituent parts; plan; layout

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geography Scientific  

/ jē-ŏg′rə-fē /

1. The scientific study of the Earth's surface and its various climates, countries, peoples, and natural resources.

2. The physical characteristics, especially the surface features, of an area.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• geographer
  noun
• geographical
  adjective
• geographically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• geographies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of geography

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin geōgraphia, from Greek geōgraphía “earth description”; equivalent to geo- + -graphy

Explanation

Geography is the study of the land and how we use it. A geography lesson about your hometown would teach about the terrain, including any landforms like mountains or waterways, its vegetation, roads and other human-made developments, and its people. Geography means "description of the earth's surface." It is often confused with a related word, geology, which means "study of the earth." Geography is about anything that happens on the ground, or above it, including how people live and use the land, while geology studies the earth's content, like the plates that form it and how they move.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

geography geographies

The price cuts vary based on several factors, including the type of builder and geography.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

The analysts point out that Australia’s large geography, low density and high average revenue per user make it an attractive market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Social media posts by influencers travelling across the country, including to tightly-controlled regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, focus on the country's diverse geography and beauty.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs—“all the other choices have their flaws,” he noted, from hotter weather to less desirable geography.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

My English was terrible, but my geography was pretty good, and I knew where Ohio was, so we got along all right.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Diversification in the tech sector is not about different geographies, sizes and business models.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

He was referring to wide-area network, a term for optical networks across large geographies.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

JetBlue Airways said it is seeing strong demand across all geographies and cabins even as surging fuel costs force airlines to raise prices and cut routes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

The two dominant European utilities by market capitalization, Iberdrola and Enel, are integrated giants across the supply chain and geographies.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

I have always been deeply interested in the Panhandle–‘The Great American Desert’ as the old geographies used to call all this great Middle West, of Kansas, Nebraska, the Indian Territory, and Upper Texas.

From Frances of the Ranges The Old Ranchman's Treasure by Marlowe, Amy Bell

Related Words

• earth science
• geology
• geopolitics
• topography